How to read your gas meter

Your gas meter shows the volume of gas that is being used in your household. It is represented either in cubic metres or cubic feet, and is converted to megajoules (MJ) on your energy bill. Knowing how to read your meter can help you stay informed about your gas consumption and more aware of your energy costs. It is especially useful in the event that you receive an estimated bill, because you will be able to read your meter to confirm the actual usage.

Determine which type of meter you have and follow the instructions below for reading it:

Gas Imperial meter

Face the meter and record the lowest number from each dial, moving from left to right. When the dial hand is between two numbers, write down the lowest one. The exception is when the dial is between 0 and 9, in which case you should write down 9.

Gas Metric meter

Read the numbers from left to right. Note that in Victoria and South Australia, the red numbers should be omitted. In New South Wales all numbers should be included.

Record your meter reading at the start of your billing period and subtract the number from the meter reading at the end of the period to get the amount of gas used. In order to convert the number to megajoules, you will need to use the following formula:

Pressure factor and heating value vary by location, so check your most recent energy bill for the figures that pertain to you. If you have an imperial meter, you will first need to convert the reading from cubic feet to cubic meters before conducting the calculations. The conversion is as follows:

1 cubic metre = 35.3 cubic feet

Gas is typically charged in cents per megajoule, so once you have identified the number of megajoules consumed, check your tariff rates to get a rough idea of your costs.